Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Internet Services

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PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology (OIT) Core Provisioning Mobility Services (CPMS)

DRAFT Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Internet Services 2.0

Date: August 20, 2026

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PWS Version Number: 1.0

Contents

BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information & Technology (OIT), Connectivity and Collaboration Services (CCS), Core Provisioning Mobility Services (CPMS) strives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services, including mobile device and connectivity solutions, to VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), field and program offices, and other remote users that are geographically dispersed throughout the United States of America (USA), Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.

The VA is seeking commercially available Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet hardware, subscription, connectivity, monitoring, warranty, logistics, and technical support services. The requirement includes fixed and mobile LEO solutions to support primary or backup connectivity, continued operations in degraded environments, disaster response scenarios, and mobile command use. On-site implementation labor, site surveys, construction, cabling, mounting, facility modification, and site restoration are outside the scope of this PWS. In addition, operational responsibility for existing LEO 1.0 service accounts and supported systems will transition to this effort.

The VA’s goal is to acquire scalable, resilient LEO satellite hardware and services that can be ordered, shipped, activated, managed, supported, and refreshed throughout the VA enterprise based on mission requirements.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

2. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-3, “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules”, March 22, 2019

3. FIPS Pub 199. “Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems,” February 2004

4. FIPS Pub 200, “Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems,” March 2006

5. FIPS Pub 201-3, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” January 2022

6. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program", as amended

7. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

8. Public Law 109-461 (P.L. 109-461), Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, as amended, Title IX, Information Security Matters

9. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”, as amended

10. VA Directive 0710, “Personnel Vetting Program,” September 8, 2025, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

11. VA Handbook 0710, “Personnel Vetting Program,” September 8, 2025, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

12. VA Directive 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

13. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” as amended

14. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource,” July 28, 2016

15. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)”, as amended

16. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 2, “Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide,” February 2024

17. 45 C.F.R Parts 160 and 164, Subparts A and E, the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (“Privacy Rule”); and 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164, Subparts A and C, the Security Standard (“Security Rule”); as amended

18. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended

19. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004

20. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA NOTICE 24-18, dated September 27, 2024, “Update to VA Directive 6500 Cybersecurity Program”, and VA Notice 25-07, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”)

21. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA Notice 25-01, dated October 15, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500 Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program”, and VA Notice 25-06, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”, VA Notice 25-16, dated September 15, 2025, “Amending VA Handbook 6500 to Replace Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Services Tool With Office of Information Technology Governance Risk Compliance Tool, and VA Notice 25-17, dated September 22, 2025, “Rescission Of Office Of Information Security (OIS) Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Memorandum – Requirements of Proper Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) Completion)

22. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI),” June 30, 2023

23. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010 (see VA Notice 24-12, dated April 22, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, Appendix C VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language For Inclusion Into Contracts, As Appropriate”)

24. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning,” March 25, 2025

25. VA Handbook 6500.10, “Mobile Device Security Policy,” February 15, 2018 (see VA NOTICE 25-10, dated June 9, 2025, “Use of Personally Owned Mobile Devices Policy Amendment of Department of Veterans Affairs Handbook 6500.10”, and VA Notice 25-15, dated August 22, 2025, “Update to VA Handbook 6500.10 Mobile Device Security Policy”)

26. VA Handbook 6500.11, “VA Firewall Configuration,” August 22, 2017

27. OIT Process Asset Library (PAL), OIT Process Asset Library.

28. One-VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx)

29. VA Directive 6508, “Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” October 15, 2014

30. VA Directive 6510, “VA Identity, Credential and Access Management,” September 3, 2024

31. VA Handbook 6510, “VA Identity, Credential and Access Management,” September 27, 2024

32. VA Directive and Handbook 6513, “Secure External Connections,” October 12, 2017

33. VA Directive 6300, “Records and Information Management,” September 21, 2018

34. VA Handbook, 6300.1, “Records Management Procedures,“ March 24, 2010

35. NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2, “Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy,” December 2018

36. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations,” September 23, 2020 (includes updates as of 12/10/2020)

37. VA Directive 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” October 26, 2015

38. VA Handbook 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” March 24, 2014

39. OMB Memorandum 05-24, “Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 5, 2005

40. OMB Memorandum M-19-17, “Enabling Mission Delivery Through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management,” May 21, 2019

41. OMB Memorandum, “Guidance for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 Implementation,” May 23, 2008

42. Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Architecture, June 30, 2023 (FICAM Architecture (idmanagement.gov))

43. NIST SP 800-116 Rev 1, “Guidelines for the Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials in Facility Access,“ June 2018

44. NIST SP 800-63 Rev 4, 800-63A-4, 800-63B-4, 800-63C-4, “Digital Identity Guidelines,” August 1, 2025

45. NIST SP 800-157, “Guidelines for Derived PIV Credentials,” December 2014

46. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7100147, “Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12),” April 29, 2011 (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

47. IAM Identity Management Business Requirements Guidance document, May 2013, (reference Enterprise Architecture Section, PIV/IAM (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

48. VA Memorandum “Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Logical Access Policy Clarification,” July 17, 2019, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896

49. Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents

50. OMB Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative,” September 12, 2019

51. OMB Memorandum M-08-23, “Securing the Federal Government’s Domain Name System Infrastructure,” August 22, 2008

52. Sections 524 and 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, (P.L. 110–140), December 19, 2007

53. Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, (P.L. 109–58), August 8, 2005

54. Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” August 2, 2001

55. Executive Order 14148, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” dated January 20, 2025

56. VA Directive 0057, “VA Environmental Management Program,” October 25, 2022

57. OIS VAIQ #7424808 Memorandum, “Remote Access,” January 15, 2014, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

58. Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, 40 U.S.C. §11101 and §11103

59. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 4.0,” March 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

60. VA Memorandum “Proper Use of Email and Other Messaging Services,” January 2, 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

61. “Product Line Management Transformation Playbook” version 3.1, August 2023, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

62. NIST SP 500-267B Revision 1, “USGv6 Profile,” November 2020

63. OMB Memorandum M-21-07, “Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6),” November 19, 2020

64. Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act of 2017

65. Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, March 23, 2018

66. C.F.R Title 15 Part 7, “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Supply Chain”, as amended

67. Executive Order 14028, “Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity,” May 12, 2021, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/16/executive-order-on-strengthening-and-promoting-innovation-in-the-nations-cybersecurity/

68. OMB Memorandum M-22-09, “Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles”, January 26, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/M-22-09.pdf.

69. NIST SP 800-52 Revision 2, “Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration, and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations

70. OMB M-26-05, “Adopting a Risk-based Approach to Software and Hardware Security,” January 23, 2026

71. OMB M-21-31, “Improving the Federal Government’s Investigative and Remediation Capabilities Related to Cybersecurity Incidents,” August 27, 2021

72. NIST SP 800-88 Revision 1 “Guidelines for Media Sanitization,” December 2014

73. CISA Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 19-02: “Vulnerability Remediation Requirements of Internet-Accessible Systems,” April 29, 2019, BOD 19-02: Vulnerability Remediation Requirements for Internet-Accessible Systems | CISA

74. CISA BOD 22-01: “Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities,” November 3, 2021, BOD 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities | CISA

75. CISA BOD 23-01: Improving Asset Visibility and Vulnerability Detection on Federal Networks.” Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), BOD 23-01: Improving Asset Visibility and Vulnerability Detection on Federal Networks | CISA

76. VA Directive 6550, Pre-Procurement Assessment and Implementation of Medical Devices/Systems, June 03, 2019

77. VA Memorandum, “VA Security Controls,” January 17, 2025, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010

78. E.O. 13960, “Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government,” December 3, 2020

79. E.O. 14319, “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,” July 23, 2025

80. OMB Memorandum M-25-21, “Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust,” April 3, 2025

81. OMB Memorandum M-25-22, “Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government,” April 3, 2025

82. OMB Memorandum M-26-04, “Increasing Public Trust in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Through Unbiased AI Principles,” December 11, 2025

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide and support Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication services to enable Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operations in degraded, disconnected, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth (Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL)) environments, contingency operations, and disaster response scenarios. The Contractor shall provide scalable solutions that integrate with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) enterprise network architecture, including Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and network failover capabilities.

This acquisition is limited to commercially available LEO user terminals and associated LEO Internet Services, including terminal components/accessories, subscriptions, remote provisioning, monitoring, warranty, logistics, remote replacement support, and technical support necessary to furnish and sustain the terminals and services. Contractor on-site implementation labor, physical site surveys, construction, mounting, cabling installation, facility modifications, electrical work, roof or wall penetrations, unrelated network infrastructure, and site restoration are outside the scope of this PWS. Any such work, if required, will be performed by the Government or acquired separately under another authorized vehicle.

The Contractor shall provide LEO hardware and services capable of supporting fixed and mobile operational requirements. Equipment shall be commercially available and suitable for Government setup and use in fixed, portable, and in-motion scenarios, where technically feasible and applicable.

The Contractor shall assume operational responsibility for all LEO systems and associated services deployed under the predecessor LEO 1.0 contract and shall transition those systems to the LEO 2.0 contract. The Contractor shall coordinate transition activities with the Government and applicable stakeholders to ensure continuity of operations and minimize disruption to existing services. To the maximum extent practicable, transition activities that may affect operational services shall be performed during approved maintenance windows, non-operational periods, or after normal business hours.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be 12 months from date of award, with four 12-month option periods and one optional task. The overall PoP shall not exceed 60 months.

Service activation, service changes, maintenance support, and service disconnection shall be coordinated during normal business hours when Government participation is required, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). Contractor-provided network monitoring and technical Help Desk support shall be available as specified elsewhere in this PWS.

There are 11 Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, five are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at both Contractor and VA facilities.

A list of existing service locations will be provided as a separate attachment. Locations of future services could be a location as shown at https://www.va.gov/find-locations/ and are subject to change based on VA facility location changes.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

KICKOFF MEETING

The Contractor shall hold a kickoff meeting within 10 business days after award unless otherwise specified. At a minimum, the Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule for each effort. Dates, locations (can be virtual), and Kickoff Meeting Agenda shall be specified at least five calendar days prior to the meeting. The CO, Contract Specialist (CS), Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and VA Program Manager (PM) shall be invited at a minimum. The Contractor shall produce and distribute the Kickoff Meeting Minutes identifying the key discussion points and action items. The Contractor shall deliver the Kickoff Meeting Minutes to the COR within five business days after the kickoff meeting.

Deliverables:

A. Kickoff Meeting Agenda B. Kickoff Meeting Minutes

TRANSITION IN SUPPORT

Following a Government-approved Transition Plan, the Contractor shall support the transition of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) terminal services from the incumbent contracts to this contract. The Contractor shall coordinate with Government personnel, incumbent contractors, service providers, and other stakeholders to ensure continuity of operations and minimize disruption to existing LEO terminal services.

The Contractor shall support the transition of operational, technical, administrative, and management functions associated with the LEO terminal portfolio. Transition activities shall include the review and transfer of applicable requirements, operational procedures, maintenance activities, service records, configuration baselines, inventories, performance metrics, system documentation, and Government-Furnished Information (GFI) necessary to support contract performance.

The scope of the LEO terminal transition shall include a comprehensive review of existing services, operational and maintenance processes, technical documentation, service management procedures, network and system interfaces, inventory records, configuration management artifacts, cybersecurity requirements, performance reporting requirements, and other operational documentation required to support ongoing service delivery.

The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Transition Plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

a. Understanding and transition of existing LEO terminal support services

b. Coordination with Government personnel, incumbent contractors, and service providers

c. Review and understanding of existing operational policies, procedures, and constraints

d. Transition of historical operational, maintenance, and performance data

e. Review and understanding of existing terminal configurations, inventories, and technical documentation

f. Understanding of current tools, workflows, reporting processes, and support methodologies

g. Transfer and validation of Government-Furnished Information (GFI), Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE), and operational artifacts, as applicable

h. Continuity of operations approach during the transition period

i. Transition schedule, milestones, risks, assumptions, and mitigation strategies

j. Transition completion criteria and operational readiness activities

Deliverables:

A. Transition Plan

CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that shall include equipment testing without interruption, laying out the Contractor’s approach, timelines to accomplish each task in the PWS, and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP shall take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks, and resource support. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PWS. The initial baseline CPMP shall be concurred during the kickoff meeting and updated monthly thereafter. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA Project Manager (PM) approved CPMP throughout the period of performance.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP)

MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT

The Contractor shall provide the COR with Monthly Progress Reports in electronic form in Microsoft Word and Project formats. The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. These reports shall reflect data as of the last day of the preceding month.

The Monthly Progress Reports shall cover, at a minimum, the following:

a. All work completed during the reporting period

b. Service activation status

c. Planned activities for the upcoming reporting period

d. Updated project milestone status, including performance against the CPMP and any deviations, and performance against established project milestones and schedules

e. Issues, risks, or delays affecting equipment delivery or service activation schedules

f. Open Issues, corrective actions, and estimated resolution dates. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issues

g. Top ten risks and associated mitigation plans

h. An itemized list of all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deliverables and their current Section 508 conformance status

i. Information Assurance (IA) and cybersecurity status

j. Availability of equipment and components on the approved LEO equipment list, as applicable It is expected that the Contractor shall keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues. The Monthly Progress Report shall be provided on the fifth day of each month.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Progress Report

DELIVERABLE SUPPORT INFORMATION FORM

VA shall provide a Deliverable Support Information Form to be completed by the vendor and returned within five business days of shipping equipment. The purpose of this form is to provide escalation support information and service level details to the customer at the delivery order level and shall include, at a minimum:

a. Site name and location

b. Equipment shipment status and tracking information

c. Serial number or unique asset identifier

d. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) support contact information and escalation procedures

Deliverable:

A. Deliverable Support Information Form

LEO PORTAL

The Contractor shall provide a single secure, web-based portal accessible to authorized Government personnel that supports monitoring and management of active LEO services throughout the VA enterprise and evaluation of service availability and coverage at prospective and existing VA locations.

The portal shall support monitoring and management of active LEO services throughout the VA enterprise.

The dashboard/portal shall provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (24/7/365) operational monitoring, configurable alerts and notifications, and near real-time reporting capabilities.

At a minimum, the portal shall provide:

a. Status of all active fixed and mobile LEO terminals

b. Service availability and operational status by location

c. Data usage reporting

d. Signal quality metrics

e. Downlink throughput metrics

f. Uplink throughput metrics

g. Latency metrics

h. Trouble ticket and incident status, if available

i. Service activation and equipment delivery status, where applicable

j. User-configurable email alerts and notifications

k. Historical performance and usage reporting capabilities

Any network operations monitoring specific user instructions or information shall be included in the LEO Portal User Guide. The portal shall support evaluation of service availability and coverage at prospective and existing VA locations. The portal shall support address-based searches and provide coverage and service availability information sufficient to support Government ordering and service planning.

Any service availability reporting specific user instructions or information shall be included in the LEO Portal User Guide.

Deliverable:

A. LEO Portal B. LEO Portal User Guide

SERVICE ACTIVATION REPORTING

The Contractor shall provide a Service Activation Report for each site which details service activation dates, new service account information, service authorization information, and the type of service provided, issues encountered during activation, outstanding issues, corrective actions taken, and any other relevant activation information.

A consolidated rollup of the Service Activation Reports for all sites shall be provided in the Monthly Progress Report, reflecting all service activations occurring during the specified reporting period in accordance with (IAW) Section 5.1.4.

Deliverable:

A. Service Activation Report

QUARTERLY USAGE REPORT

The Contractor shall provide a Quarterly Usage Report summarizing utilization, performance, and operational trends for all LEO services provided under the contract. The report shall include aggregated data for the reporting quarter and identify significant trends, anomalies, service utilization patterns, and operational issues impacting performance.

The Quarterly Usage Report shall include, at a minimum, the following:

a. Total number of active LEO service locations

b. Total number of active fixed and mobile LEO terminals

c. Quarterly bandwidth utilization statistics by site and service type

d. Total data consumption by site and service type

e. Service availability and outage statistics

f. Incident and trouble ticket summary, including trends and recurring issues

g. Service activation and deactivation activities completed during the reporting period

h. Equipment inventory, shipment, and service status summary

i. Performance trends, including latency, throughput, and signal quality metrics where available

j. Significant operational issues, corrective actions, and lessons learned

k. Recommendations for service optimization or operational improvements

Microsoft Excel formatted reports shall be submitted on the fifth (5th) business day of January, April, July, and October for the preceding quarter.

Deliverable:

A. Quarterly Usage Report

FAULT AND SERVICE OUTAGE REPORTING PLAN

Fault information includes detection, identification, and isolation of problems that negatively affect any service, as well as initiation, tracking, and completion of corresponding corrective actions. A service outage is the inability to provide service to any user in any part of the coverage area. In the event of a service outage, the Contractor shall provide verbal and written status reports to the Mobility National COR Team, the affected site’s VA Facility Telecommunications Manager (TM) and any other designated points of contact (POCs) in accordance with timelines, formats, protocols, and escalation procedures to be agreed by the parties and documented in the Fault and Service Outage Reporting Plan.

Deliverable:

A. Fault and Service Outage Reporting Plan

INCIDENT REPORTING PROCESS

The Contractor shall establish and maintain an Incident Reporting Process for the identification, escalation, notification, tracking, and resolution of incidents affecting LEO services.

The Contractor shall provide the Incident Reporting Process for Government review and approval. The process shall define incident classifications, notification procedures, escalation paths, reporting requirements, roles and responsibilities, and corrective action procedures.

The Contractor shall notify the Mobility National COR Team, the affected site’s VA Facility TM and any other designated Government POCs of any service-affecting incident IAW Section 5.5 and its subsections.

Notifications shall be provided via email and shall include, at a minimum:

a. Incident identification number

b. Date and time of detection

c. Affected location(s)

d. Description of the incident

e. Known or suspected cause

f. Impact to service operations

g. Estimated restoration timeline

h. Current mitigation actions A summary of all incidents occurring during the reporting period shall be included in the Monthly Progress Report.

Deliverable:

A. Incident Reporting Process

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

EQUIPMENT DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide commercially available Low Earth Orbit (LEO) user terminals and the manufacturer-standard components and accessories necessary for operation of the offered terminals, together with associated LEO Internet Service, warranty, logistics, monitoring, and technical support. Equipment shall be delivered complete and suitable for Government setup and use.

The Contractor shall provide remote troubleshooting and sustainment of LEO Internet Service connectivity through the service-provider termination point and shall support the associated LEO terminals in accordance with this PWS.

The Contractor shall provide commercially available LEO terminal types sufficient to support the following Government operational use cases. Requirements are performance-based and shall not be construed as requiring a specific manufacturer, brand, model, or part number:

Fixed-Use LEO Terminal. The Contractor shall provide commercially available LEO terminals suitable for Government-selected fixed-site use. Terminals shall support commercially available manufacturer-approved mounting and accessory options and shall be capable of removal and reuse without requiring replacement of otherwise serviceable terminal equipment.

Performance In-Motion LEO Terminal. The Contractor shall provide commercially available LEO terminals designed to support in-motion operation on land-based mobile platforms. Terminals shall support flat, low-profile, or functionally equivalent configurations suitable for vehicles, trailers, and similar mobile platforms, where commercially available. Equipment shall include the manufacturer's standard accessories necessary for operation and shall be ruggedized for the environmental and operational conditions associated with vehicle-mounted use.

Compact All-in-One LEO Terminal. The Contractor shall provide commercially available compact, integrated LEO terminals suitable for transport and storage within a portable protective case. The terminal shall include the manufacturer's standard accessories necessary for operation and shall be suitable for rapid Government deployment and setup.

Standard LEO Terminal. The Contractor shall provide commercially available standard LEO terminals suitable for transport and storage within a portable protective case. The terminal shall include the manufacturer's standard accessories necessary for operation and shall be suitable for Government deployment and setup.

All terminal types offered under this PWS shall meet the applicable technical, environmental, interoperability, service, and performance requirements specified elsewhere in this PWS.

SERVICE TYPES AND FEATURES

The Contractor shall provide commercially available LEO Internet Services with the following features and performance objectives:

a. Downlink throughput objective: 100-350 Mbps

b. Uplink throughput objective: 20-40 Mbps

c. One way latency objective (terminal to downlink): average 45 msec

d. Public or private IP assignment options

e. Dual stack IPv4/IPv6, with IPv6 only capability

f. Physical Ethernet handoff utilizing industry-standard RJ45 interfaces or equivalent commercially available network interfaces compatible with Government-furnished networking equipment.

g. The Contractor shall offer commercially available priority service plans, if available, for acquisition by the Government when required to support mission needs.

h. The Contractor shall offer commercially available mobile LEO service plans and associated equipment, if available, for acquisition by the Government when required to support operational requirements.

i. Service pause, suspension, deactivation, decoupling, and reactivation capabilities in accordance with the requirements below.

j. Compatibility with Government-furnished and third-party network equipment, including routers, switches, firewalls, SD-WAN appliances, VPN devices, and mobile communications platforms, through industry-standard network interfaces.

k. Commercially available manufacturer-approved mounting and accessory options appropriate to the offered terminal types.

l. The Contractor shall support pooled data plans that allow shared data usage across authorized VA LEO services and terminals under a common Government billing account or other commercially available enterprise pooling construct.

m. Pooled data shall be available for allocation and consumption across eligible fixed and mobile LEO services without requiring a separate data allowance for each individual terminal, except where limitations are inherent to the commercially available service plan and are disclosed to the Government.

The Contractor shall provide authorized Government personnel visibility through the LEO Portal into pooled data entitlement, aggregate consumption, remaining pooled data, usage by terminal or service, and any applicable overage usage. Changes to the status of an individual terminal shall not affect unrelated terminals participating in the same data pool, except where required by the underlying commercially available service plan and disclosed to the Government. The Contractor shall provide the Government the ability to pause, suspend, deactivate, or otherwise decouple LEO Internet Service from individual Government-owned or Government-designated LEO terminals when active service is not required. The Contractor shall support retention of the associated hardware without requiring continuous active service. Paused, suspended, deactivated, or decoupled equipment shall remain eligible for future service activation without requiring the Government to repurchase the equipment. The Contractor shall provide the capability to reactivate service on Government-designated equipment when requested by authorized Government personnel. Reactivation shall not require replacement of otherwise serviceable equipment solely because the associated service was previously paused, suspended, deactivated, or decoupled. The Government shall not be charged for active service during periods in which a service has been fully deactivated or decoupled, except for Government-approved standby, account-maintenance, or other applicable charges specifically identified in the contract.

The Contractor shall provide authorized Government personnel the ability to view the current service status of each terminal through the Contractor-provided LEO Portal, including, at a minimum, whether the associated service is Active, Paused/Suspended, or Deactivated/Decoupled.

SERVICE PROVIDER AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, licenses, authorizations, and requirements governing the provision of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite Internet services, including applicable Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements and requirements of other regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the services provided under this contract. Government telecommunications requirements and conditions may be more stringent than applicable regulatory requirements, and the Contractor shall comply with both where applicable.

The Contractor's LEO service offering shall be supported by the Contractor's own facilities and infrastructure, in whole or in part, or through facilities and infrastructure that the Contractor is authorized to use in providing the contracted services. The Contractor shall remain responsible for meeting all applicable requirements of this PWS regardless of whether third-party facilities, infrastructure, subcontractors, or underlying service providers are utilized.

EQUIPMENT WARRANTIES

Contractor shall offer commercial standard warranty for all equipment provided at no additional cost to the government. All warranties shall be included in the price of the item or device. Warranty coverage shall begin coverage on the date the Government received the item. A Continental United States (CONUS) return shipping address shall be provided for all warranty return items.

ENVIRONMENTAL EQUIPMENT TOLERANCE REQUIREMENTS (LEO SYSTEMS)

The Contractor provided LEO satellite equipment, components, and mounting systems shall be rated for continuous outdoor operation and capable of withstanding adverse environmental conditions without performance degradation.

All equipment shall meet or exceed the following minimum environmental requirements, and the Contractor shall provide documentation verifying compliance. Equipment that does not meet these requirements shall not be accepted for use under this contract.

TEMPERATURE (OPERATIONAL AND SURVIVAL)

Equipment shall remain fully operational within the operational range and sustain no damage within the survival range.

a. Operational range: -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to +50°C) minimum

b. Survival range: -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to +60°C) minimum

WIND RESISTANCE

Equipment and mounting systems shall withstand sustained winds of at least 100 mph and gusts up to 130 mph without failure, detachment, or misalignment.

Mounting systems shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local building codes, including the wind load provisions of the current edition of ASCE 7.

An unanchored mobile terminal shall withstand sustained winds and gusts of up to 30 mph.

INGRESS PROTECTION

All equipment shall meet a minimum rating of IP66 per IEC 60529 standards.

Equipment shall be dust-tight and resist heavy rain, wind-driven rain, and water intrusion, maintaining functionality during and after exposure.

SNOW AND ICE TOLERANCE

Equipment shall be capable of melting snow and operating under snow accumulation. Equipment shall withstand a minimum static load of 20 lb/ft² or applicable local code requirements, whichever is greater.

Antenna systems shall include self-heating, de-icing, or equivalent features to prevent performance degradation.

HUMIDITY AND CORROSION RESISTANCE

Equipment shall meet the manufacturer's published humidity specifications and shall be suitable for continuous outdoor operation in environments ranging from 0% to 100% humidity, including condensing conditions.

Components shall be corrosion-resistant and suitable for coastal and high-humidity environments, meeting MIL-STD-810H or equivalent standards.

LIGHTNING AND SURGE PROTECTION

Equipment and offered accessories shall support grounding, bonding, and surge protection appropriate for outdoor telecommunications/antenna use. The Contractor shall provide manufacturer documentation and product cut sheets identifying applicable grounding, bonding, surge protection, and electrical requirements, including relevant ANSI/TIA, UL, NFPA, IEC, or equivalent industry standards. Physical implementation of grounding, bonding, surge protection, cabling, power, mounts, or other facility work is outside the scope of this PWS.

Grounding and surge protection shall be designed to reduce damage from static discharge, utility surges, and nearby lightning-induced surges.

ULTRAVIOLET (UV) AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE

Materials shall be UV-resistant and capable of prolonged sun exposure without degradation, cracking, or structural failure.

FLOOD AND WATER EXPOSURE

Where applicable, ground-based or low-mounted equipment shall be rated or designed for use in temporary flooding conditions consistent with the manufacturer’s published specifications and applicable site requirements.

SERVICE ACTIVATION

REMOTE SERVICE ACTIVATION

The Contractor shall activate, modify, pause, resume, and disconnect LEO service subscriptions upon Government authorization and shall provide the account, service plan, IP addressing, and other service information required for Government use. Service activation is limited to service-provider and account functions and does not include on-site implementation labor.

The Contractor shall provide remote technical assistance, manufacturer documentation, and commercially available setup guidance necessary for authorized Government personnel to place delivered equipment into service. Any physical mounting, cabling, facility modification, electrical work, equipment placement, or removal shall be performed separately by the Government or under another authorized vehicle and is not a requirement of this PWS.

The Contractor shall provide commercially available fixed and mobile service plans and hardware options that are compatible with VA enterprise network equipment through industry-standard interfaces. The Contractor shall support remote service provisioning and account configuration.

OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND SUPPORT

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

The Contractor shall use an Escalation Process to resolve customer service issues and provide a single POC for each issue or dispute. The Contractor shall provide the COR an Escalation Process 14 calendar days after contract award outlining the specific steps taken to resolve customer service issues. The escalation list shall be updated within 30 calendar days after any change of contractor key personnel.

The Contractor shall provide technical Help Desk support. Technical Help Desk support is required 24/7/365. A manned tollfree number shall be designated as the primary help number for VA to call to report a problem and have a Trouble Ticket assigned. The Contractor shall provide authorized Government personnel visibility into Trouble Ticket status, updates, and resolution through the Contractor-provided portal or other Government-approved electronic means. Automated answering or ticket automation service shall not be an acceptable solution. The Contractor’s customer service representative shall be located in the CONUS and also be fluent in spoken and written English. A Trouble Ticket is the method used by the Government to advise the Help Desk of a perceived fault, including a service outage or a failure to meet a Service Level Agreement (SLA). A unique Trouble Ticket reference number shall be given to the Government representative and also used each time the Government calls in to the Help Desk for any fault update or, if appropriate, to inform the Contractor of restoration of the service. The Help Desk shall assign an initial severity classification at fault detection/trouble ticket opening and utilize tiered escalation IAW Section 5.5.2.

The Contractor shall provide the Mobility National COR Team a monthly report of Help Desk trouble tickets at the completion of each billing cycle. The Help Desk report shall contain all tickets opened during the billing cycle and shall include a list of trouble ticket numbers and the circuits affected, reporting location, time of trouble ticket report, time of service restoration, and description of fault and resolution of fault.

Deliverables:

A. Escalation Process Plan B. Monthly Help Desk Report

BREAK/FIX AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide full break/fix support for all deployed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) equipment provided under this contract, including but not limited to: terminals (dishes), antennas, mounts, power components, and associated hardware. The Contractor shall provide a replacement unit and restore service IAW Section 5.5.3.

The Contractor shall maintain sufficient inventory and logistics capability to support rapid shipment of replacement equipment across all VA locations, including remote, rural, and emergency-use scenarios.

The Contractor shall be responsible for replacement-equipment logistics, shipping, warranty processing, remote provisioning, and remote technical support required to restore service. Physical removal, mounting, cabling, and on-site equipment replacement labor are outside the scope of this PWS.

The Contractor shall provide return-material authorization, shipping instructions, and repair or replacement processing for failed Contractor-provided equipment in accordance with applicable VA security and sanitization requirements. The Government will perform any required physical removal or equipment swap unless separately authorized outside this PWS.

The Contractor shall provide proactive monitoring and diagnostics to identify potential equipment failures prior to service disruption when feasible.

PRE-POSITIONED EQUIPMENT AND EMERGENCY STANDBY CAPABILITY

The Contractor shall maintain a pre-positioned inventory of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) equipment, including terminals (dishes), mounting hardware, cabling, power supplies, and associated components, in a ready-to-deploy standby status to support emergency operations, contingency scenarios, and surge requirements across the VA enterprise.

The pre-positioned inventory shall be stored at Contractor-managed or approved warehouse facilities within the CONUS and geographically positioned to support rapid shipment to authorized VA destinations. The Contractor shall ensure all equipment is maintained in operational condition, pre-configured where commercially supported, and ready for shipment and remote service activation.

The Contractor shall maintain a minimum inventory level sufficient to support simultaneous emergency equipment orders for multiple VA locations, as defined by the Government. The Contractor shall propose inventory levels to be reviewed and approved by the Mobility National COR Team and adjusted as mission requirements evolve.

ACTIVATION AND DEPLOYMENT OF STANDBY EQUIPMENT

Upon notification by the Government, the Contractor shall initiate shipment of standby LEO equipment within 12 hours and deliver equipment to the designated VA destination within 24–48 hours, depending on location and operational conditions.

The Contractor shall provide logistics, transportation, pre-configuration where commercially supported, remote service activation, and remote technical support for standby equipment. The Contractor shall maintain an inventory management and tracking system and provide the Mobility National COR Team with monthly reports detailing inventory levels, locations, readiness status, shipment history, and service status.